Iraq Preparing to Send Troops to Syria for Action Against Israel

September 9, 1966

LONDON (Dec. 8)

Iraq is preparing to send troops to Syria to be stationed at the Syrian-Israeli frontier, it was announced today over the Baghdad Radio. The announcement was made by Iraq’s Army Chief General Mahdy, who said that Iraqi units had been moved to the borders and “await the signal of the United Arab Command to go into action against Israel.”

(In Washington, a State Department spokesman said that the U.S. Government to day urged Syria not to inflame the Muddle East situation with inciting speeches against Jordan and Israel. A speech urging the Arabs in Jordan to overthrow their King and to “liberate Palestine” was delivered yesterday in Beirut by Dr. Nureddin Attassi, Syrian chief of state. The spokesman also said that the State Department was closely watching the Syrian seizure of the Iraqi Petroleum Company in which American capital is invested.)